This 16 Seed’s Coach Made NCAA History. His Secret? A Simple Leadership Rule Every Manager Needs to Know

After transforming Howard frin one of college basketball’s most dormant programs, Kenny Blakeney’s greatest impact is what he’s teaching his players off the court.

BY AMAYA NICHOLE, NEWS WRITER

Coach Kenny Blakeney. Photo: Getty Images

The Howard’s men basketball’s made school history with their first-ever NCAA tournament win over UMBC in the First Four round. Unfortunately, they fell to Michigan in their next game. But in the post-game press conference, instead of focusing on the loss, the player players spoke for nearly 10 minutes about the impact that head coach Kenny Blakeney has had on them. 

“No matter who you are, if you’re going through something if it’s school or basketball, he [Blakeney] will sit you down and talk to you not as an expense, not as a commodity, but as a human being,” senior Ose Okojie said.

Blakeney was a player at Duke University and a key member of Hall of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s back-to-back NCAA Championship teams in 1991 and 1992. His transition from player to coach started at James Madison in 1995.

Over the last two decades, he has worked with notable coaches such as Hall of Famer Lefty Driesell and Harvard coach Tommy Amaker while holding key coaching roles at institutions including Seton Hall and Columbia.

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When he began coaching at Howard in 2019, the program hadn’t had a winning season in 18 years and had managed only two in 28 seasons. What followed was a complete transformation. Under his guidance, the Bison secured back-to-back MEAC Tournament titles in 2023 and 2024 and made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances—a historic first for the program.

Yet, his leadership and success goes beyond what happens on the basketball court. It’s in how he not only coaches his players, but mentors and teaches them life skills. With NIL deals turning players into commodities, Blakeney’s coaching style stands out. His commitment to his players as individuals and humans, is a lesson for any leader in how to get the most out of a team.

“I’ve never met somebody that has looked like me, that’s grabbed the bull by the horns and said ‘I deserve this and I’m not gonna cheat the process to get it. I’m gonna go through every rough patch. I’m gonna go through hell or high water, and through the valley. I’m gonna get to the other side and I’m going to earn it,’” said graduate student Bryce Harris.

Okojie and Harris also credit Blakeney with teaching them other transferable life skills like accountability, kindness, and the value of hard work. “Especially for us as young black men, some people don’t look at us as human beings like that. This man makes sure we’re seen, heard, and loved,” Okojie said.

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